Soggy Robes
by annapooh
Summary: (First Paragraph)Ginny walked into the common room with a damper in her spirits. It could have been the fact that her quidditch robes were soaked to the bone: ever since she was made a chaser, she had seemed to become less aware of the things around her r


**A/N: well . . . I'm just writing whatever comes to my head . . . I hope it works . . .**

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P.S. This is ACTUALLY a sequel to A Dry Mouth. If you have not read A Dry Mouth, it's not _exactly_ necessary to read it before this one, but I will DEFINITELY make references to things that happened in it . . . yeah . . .

Ginny walked into the common room with a damper in her spirits. It could have been the fact that her quidditch robes were soaked to the bone: ever since she was made a chaser, she had seemed to become _less_ aware of the things around her rather than more. It could be the fact that she had a harsher workload with Quidditch practice and homework, but she did not think that was even the least of it. She supposed it was the person flying around her, searching for a small golden ball with wings.

Ever since she had broken up with Dean, she had felt more and more as she had in her earlier years at Hogwarts – besides the whole being possessed by the Dark Lord thing. She had felt younger, more naïve. Ron did not make it any better either. He still treated her as if she was seven.

Actually, it was just the other day out on the Quidditch pitch when he nearly screamed his head off at her for flying to deep into a dive. "YOU COULD HAVE KILLED YOURSELF!" he claimed, blaring down at her as she tried to pull herself to her full height – which was not very high. It was only until Harry came to break them up that Ron had stopped nagging.

"Come on Ron, she's a big girl," Harry said taking a hand and pushing her insolent brother back. "She can handle herself." Ginny smiled triumphantly at her brother, besides the fact that she had just been called a _girl_ if a big one at that.

At least someone had her back. Everyone else on the team agreed with Ron, saying that it was a little too dangerous for her to be doing things like that – but not in as many words as her big brother. Only Harry complimented her on her diving technique – which in fact she had gotten from him in the first place.

Life was really not as difficult as Ginny tried to make it seem in her mind. She was passing all of her classes, she was one of the top achievers of the DA – which was still intact after all its trials, and she still had one more year at Hogwarts after this one. Everything seemed to be in order.

"That was a good practice today," Ron said as he stepped through the portrait hole behind her. He was just as wet as she, but it was Harry that was a double take. He was covered from head to foot with mud tracking it everywhere he went. He had had an unfortunate accident with a bludger that resulted in him wrestling with it on the muddy ground to keep it under control.

"Your back early," Hermione said looking up from a book that she had seemed to be reading intently in one of the cushiony chairs in front of the fire. She looked them up and down and then out the window, and raised her eyebrows in surprise. She must have missed the fact that it was pouring outside. She took out her wand and shot a spell over at Ginny and Ron to dry their robes and hair, and one at Harry to clean him up. Ron smiled and went to go sit next to her. Ginny grinned to herself, remembering that whole situation (A/N: read A Dry Mouth).

It was almost suppertime, so Ginny decided to take up some time reading a book she had found in the bookcase of the Room of Requirement. It was a fantasy about a heroin that uses her unique powers to save her world from the darkness. Ginny had wished she would someday be like this woman, but could never see herself facing evil and not being afraid.

"What's wrong," Harry said sitting down next to her and brushing bits of dirt out of his hair that Hermione's spell had missed. Ginny snapped out of her trance and noticed she had not even been looking at her book; just staring at the ground in front of her. "You seem troubled." He rumpled his hair to make it messier than it naturally was. He had seemed to do that often of late.

Something that had remained the same after her prior engagement, she did not feel her stomach roll over when Harry approached. It seemed quite natural for him to be sitting next to her, almost comfortable. This had baffled her for the longest time but then accepted it as normal.

"Nothing," she answered. "Just hungry, is all." He nodded as if understanding and she suppressed a giggle when she heard his stomach growl – rather loudly.

"So are you excited about Saturday?" he asked her sitting low in his chair and extending his legs straight on the ground. Saturday was their first Quidditch match of the year.

"I suppose," she replied casually. "I just hope it doesn't turn out like last year . . .," she said trailing off. Harry burst out laughing. Her first game as a chaser last year had not started very well. After being hit three times with a bludger, missing all of her shots, and nearly throwing up before the game from her nerves, Gryffindor had lost 160 to 150 after Harry caught the Snitch. Ron had also been nervous and did not do a very good job guarding the goal posts.

"That's alright," Harry said, somewhat pulling himself together. "You'll do better this time. You have really improved." He gave her a brief pat on the shoulder, which made her stomach twist. It was a _friendly_ pat. He stopped when he heard his stomach growl once more. "Do you want to go down and eat?" She nodded.

When Harry had gotten up, he offered her his hand to help her up and she took it, trying to suppress a grin. They started for the portrait hole but stopped when they heard Ron. "Oy! Harry, are you going down to the Great Hall?" When he nodded, Ron got up and started to follow. "You coming, Hermione?" he said turning to her.

"Umm, no," Hermione said hesitantly. "I'm not very hungry." Ron shrugged his shoulders and muttered a quiet "Suit yourself."

As the portrait of the Fat Lady closed behind them, Ginny tried very hard not to bonk her brother on the back of the head. "Are you blind, or are you just stupid?" she said looking at Ron as if he were a child.

"Wha?" he asked, clearly unaware of what just happened.

"Hermione, _clearly_ wanted you to stay with her in the common room," Ginny said as if it was obvious. It was!

"If she had, she would have told me," Ron said smartly.

"She must have told you in girl language," Harry said, also seeming to not know what Ginny was talking about.

"Why don't you go back and sit with her," Ginny suggested. Ron looked at her as if she was insane.

"But I'm hungry," he replied, and Ginny had nothing to say to that. She shook her head in hopelessness for her brother's sake.

The Great Hall was buzzing with conversations and laughter as the students of Hogwarts Witchcraft and Wizardry gathered in the large room at their house tables. Ginny, Harry, and Ron made their way up the isle to sit next to Neville. He seemed to be having trouble cutting a piece of roast that Ginny foresaw turning out disastrous. She thought of saving him the trouble of taking an eye out, took her wand out, and cut the piece of meat with a spell. Neville thanked her gratefully but she told him not to worry about it.

Of course, though, it would not be a meal at Hogwarts without a jolly ole visit from Mr. Malfoy and his tubby cronies. "Hey Weasel," he yelled from the Slytherin table. Ginny and Ron both looked. "How's Granger?" Ron turned bright red. It had not been long before the news of Ron and Hermione together had made its way around the castle. Crabbe and Goyle sniggered loud enough to be heard outside on the grounds.

"Hey Malfoy," Harry yelled back shortly after Draco's snide remark. "How's your dad?" Harry did not even turn around. He just kept spooning food onto his plate as if it were a normal conversation. Malfoy, however, stood up immediately and glared daggers at the top of Harry's head, as if he wanted to chew it off.

"Better than Black I would say," Malfoy replied after a moment, as if he had to think of another comeback. Harry responded to this as Malfoy had. He dropped his fork that held the food he was about to put in his mouth, and stood up to face Malfoy.

Suddenly, the pitcher of pumpkin juice on the table in front of Malfoy flew into bits, and caused Malfoy to fall backwards. Pumpkin juice splattered the surrounding Slytherins and caused Pansy to shriek pathetically.

Harry still remained standing, and Ginny noticed he was shaking with rage. She placed a hand on his arm and he looked down at her. She almost jerked it away as eyes of cold stone and hate met hers, but she kept it there, out of desperation for him to sit. His eyes calmed and he slowly sat back down. He soon regained his normal disposition and ceased his shaking. Ginny finally remover her hand hesitantly, wanting to still hold on.

For the remaining part of the meal and the walk back up to Gryffindor Tower, they did not speak. Harry seemed to stare idly at the ground ahead of him. _He'll be all right_, Ginny thought to herself, a little concerned. As the portrait hole opened, Harry absent-mindedly made his way to the large couch in front of the fire. Hermione had seemed to turn in early since Ron did not stay to keep her company. Ron followed Harry to the couch, and Ginny soon sat down there also. The three of them sat quietly, staring into the glowing embers.

Slowly, something occurred to Ginny: Harry was not sadly gazing into the fire, but he was not staring angrily either. He looked as if he was expecting . . . Ginny suddenly remember Hermione telling her about how Sirius used to pop in and out of the common room fire by floo powder to give Harry some sort of advise.

"He's not there Harry," she said miserably. Harry looked down at her curiously, but then slowly nodded and turned away. Ron seemed to be confused at what just happened and looked from Ginny to Harry for any sign. He did not find one, so he looked away.

Ginny heard Harry sigh, and she had to try very hard not to burst into tears. If she only knew what was going on in that head of his . . . Actually, she did know. She also knew that if she were in his place, she would probably lie down on the floor and give up. But she knew Harry had to be strong and needed as much help as he could get. Hesitantly, she reached her hand out to place on his, but could not muster enough courage to go all the way. Harry seemed to notice this, and, without even looking at her, he took her hand from where it had frozen. Ginny caught a hint of a smile on his face, and hoped that she was not turning red.

"Harry, why don't we head up to bed," Ron said a few minutes later. He got up, stretched a little, and started up the stairs to the boy's dormitory.

Harry agreed but cast a look at Ginny before getting up and following Ron to the stairs. Ginny was not exactly sure what kind of look it was, but she knew it was not one you normally give to somebody. Beaming, she also rose from her spot on the couch and made her way to bed. She was surprised she was not skipping.

Snuggling into the warm sheets of her bed, she rethought the occurrences of the day, as she always did, but noticed she was repeating everything that Harry was in. She slowly drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow would _have_ to be a good day.

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**A/N: Well . . . that's it . . . wow . . . it's kinda long for what I usually make a chapter . . . I guess that's okay though . . . Tell me what you think . . . I'm not sure if I like the whole Harry thing . . . well . . . whatever . . .**

**annapooh**

**P.S. "Sometimes it seems like such a hard life  
But there's good times around the bend  
The roller coaster's got to roll to the bottom  
If you want to climb to the top again." String Cheese Incident – Round The Wheel**


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